Teaching the ground game

[Jerry Kluger]

I've had the chance to play more and more golf with my 11 year old son who has a swing that I can only dream about - ah to be young and flexible.  Anyway, I have been trying to teach him the ground game and he is starting to pick it up and he has come to realize that there is more than one way to approach a green.  I've shown him that instead of hitting a wedge into a green with a front pin sometimes he can take a 6 iron or an 8 iron and bump it up to the green.  He's gotten to understand it and it brings a smile to his face when he pulls it off just like I do.  What it has also done is given him more touch around the greens and his chipping has improved greatly as a result.

We now go out and play and we will challenge each other as to what type of shot we will hit when we are hitting into a green.  I think this is good for a someone like my son who easily gets bored with things and keeps his interest in the game strong. I think he also appreciates it when a course allows for such shots and doesn't require every shot into every green to be high and spinning.

[Kyle Harris]

Jerry,

Do... not... change... that... attitude...

Period...

[Andy Hughes]

I think he also appreciates it when a course allows for such shots and doesn't require every shot into every green to be high and spinning.

Jerry, sounds like he may be a GCAer then in a few years!

For better or worse, I know I find myself now hitting shots because I think they may be a fun alternative.  Of course, this tends not to lead to great scoring....

[Jerry Kluger]

Andy: Yeah, but sometimes it does give an opportunity for a lower score when you have an option that others don't even consider.

[James Bennett]

Sounds like the golfer's version of athletic cross-training to me.

[TEPaul]

Speaking of touch and feel there's this Pennsylvania player (amateur) who's done very well in the major state events in the last few years who must have extraordinary touch and feel.

At the state amateur a couple of weeks ago I spotted him out on a part of the practice chipping area hitting these delicate little pitch and run shots of about 20-30 yards one after another right to the pin with one arm. He'd switch from his right arm to his left arm and back again. And then I spotted him doing the same thing at the State Open in the last few days. Both times he was hitting these delicate little 20-30 yard pitch and runs off very tight-lie turf too.

What was he doing with his other arm both times? He was talking on a cell phone!  

[Jerry Kluger]

I STILL HATE CELL PHONES!

[Jerry Kluger]

TEP: On page B2 of today's USA Today there is a photo of an Iraq War veteran who is a double amputee and plays golf and he is playing a bunker shot using only his right hand while  talking on a cell phone which he is holding with his left - I guess bunker shots aren't that difficult so long as you are steady over the ball.

[Andy Hughes]

Andy: Yeah, but sometimes it does give an opportunity for a lower score when you have an option that others don't even consider.

Jerry, unfortunately for me, I sometimes think I have  more options.    But I get your point

[TEPaul]

"Per this thread, I would suggest to anyone that hasn't already to read Tim Gallwey's book, "The Inner Game of Golf."  Trying to play different shots and talking on a cell phone while hitting may serve the same purpose: to distract ego-driven, control-freak "Self 1" from getting in the way of intuitive "Self 2."

Mark:

I'll be sure to tell that to the player I mentioned who was chipping beautifully with either arm while talking on his cell phone but I know him and I'm pretty sure he'll just stare at me in silent disbelief. I will ask him if he was doing it to distract his ego-driven, control-freak Self 1 from getting in the way of his intuitive Self 2 but I have a feeling he might just say he was fooling around chipping and pitching while he had a fairly long conversation with his girl-friend.  

[Andy Doyle]

"Per this thread, I would suggest to anyone that hasn't already to read Tim Gallwey's book, "The Inner Game of Golf."  Trying to play different shots and talking on a cell phone while hitting may serve the same purpose: to distract ego-driven, control-freak "Self 1" from getting in the way of intuitive "Self 2."

Mark:

I'll be sure to tell that to the player I mentioned who was chipping beautifully with either arm while talking on his cell phone but I know him and I'm pretty sure he'll just stare at me in silent disbelief. I will ask him if he was doing it to distract his ego-driven, control-freak Self 1 from getting in the way of his intuitive Self 2 but I have a feeling he might just say he was fooling around chipping and pitching while he had a fairly long conversation with his girl-friend.  

Precisely.  He's so "intuitive" he doesn't even realize he's distracting his control-freak self.  

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